Chapter 25

"That is beautiful, baby…you're going to look…" Maya couldn't go on.

Olivia closed the catalog. She had brought pictures of the flowers, the cake…her dress. She stared at her mother across the cold metal table of the visitor's room. The wedding was a week and although she had a million things she needed to finish up. She wanted to do this.

"Mom, I came to see you to tell you that I…forgive you. I don't forgive you for you, but I forgive you for me. I am letting everything go. You are full of failings, because you're a human being and not the supernatural superwoman I built you in my mind and my heart to be. I forgive you because I want to go into this next part of my life without bitterness or hate or…anger. I don't want those bad feelings to taint the good things; and if I hold onto this…that's what it will do…" she took a deep breath

"I am not ready to go there yet with Pop…I'm working on it, but before I get married I wanted you to know, that I forgive you. Not only for you…but for me"

Liv watched her mother cry and felt a weight lift of her heart.

"Thank you Livvie…its more than I deserve…. I…thank you"

Liv nodded, reached out and placed her hand over her mothers.

There could be no forgiveness without love.

"Fitz its perfect…It's beautiful…" Liv looked at the ring. It wasn't a conventional engagement ring, but she loved it. Two winding gold bands intersected in the middle with a stone set in between the two winding bands…like a little twinkling eye. She loved it.

The ring belonged to his great grandmother and was held in a special trust and was to be released to Fitz only under special circumstances.

"It was my great grandmothers…. there is a story that comes with this ring…" He pulled her into his side and she settled in to listen.

"Our family name used to be Grätz…My grandmother was born in Poland and barley escaped the gas chambers. My great grandfather proposed to my great grandmother with this ring. When the Nazi's were rounding up families and stripping them of their valuables my great grandmother Agnieszka and her daughter, my grandmother, Beatrycze managed to escape. My grandfather was not so lucky. Anyway, Agnieszka and Beatrycze managed to escape the gas chambers, Poland and made it to America. Being Jewish was not easy then so my grandmother thought it prudent to change our Name from Grätz to Grant.

Despite losing everything, she managed to hang onto the ring my great grandfather proposed to her with…In America she got remarried and had two more children Aleksander and Jakub. Beatrycze, Alexsander and Jakub grew up and went on to have families of their own. Beatrycze gave birth to Jerry, Elizabeth and Emma Grant… Jerry Grant, my father, had three children my two sisters and me.

Now all these children and great grandchildren are spread all over the United States, but everyone made a sort of pilgrimage to see great grandmother Agnieszka when she was still alive. One day when we are living in CA my father says we are going to meet my great grandmother who lives in New York. She never moved. So, we take my first plane ride and walk into this place that scares me, cause it's an old folks home and I don't know…. I'm five, but I think I could just feel the death in there…so I am hanging onto my father's hand as hard as I can and I just want to go home…. He yells at me and tells me to man up.

We walk into the room and I remember seeing her sitting an armchair in the corner of the room. I had never see anyone that old in my life. I don't know what it was I saw her and the fear just dissipated. She didn't even have to call me forward to meet her… I went willingly. The minute she sees me …she starts crying. Its quiet…the only way you could tell is by seeing the tears rolling down her face…she grabs me by my face with both hands. I remember I thought they were so cold… anyway she looks at me with these eyes…I swear I could feel everything she was feeling…and she says…Fazil….

"Fazil was my great grandfather who died in the gas chambers and she swore I looked just like him…she starts pulling on her fingers that are gnarled by age and my father comes over and speaks to her and whatever she says to him makes him tear up. He helps her pull the ring off her fingers and she calls me over and she gives me…she gives me this ring and says…

Remember Fazil…only for true love…true love

That ring has been through all the hell my grandmother had been through she was going to be buried with it…. it was her connection to the only man she ever really loved…Fazil.

She didn't intend to give it to Beatrycze, Alexsander and Jakub…to anybody…until the day she saw me.

She said she believed I was the reincarnation of Fazil, and that if I was Fazil and she believed I was…that meant that out there was a great love waiting for me. The kind of love she had with Fazil…. only true love."

Liv stared at the ring…and looked up at Fitz.

"We have to be worthy of this ring…we have to be…" she couldn't go on overcome by emotion.

"We will be Liv…we will be…forever"

She nodded.

Agnieszka…this is true love…

Hello all, I know this is a short chapter, but I wanted to share the story of the ring before posting Olitz wedding. I am back at work and not posting with as much frequency, but I promise the wedding is on the way!

Best,
Isa. S